Mr. McConnell’s Rural Schools Journal Entry 1 (7/7/2016) What it looks like, lives like, what I’ve seen In a rural area, the suppression and exclusion of the hardest working and neediest among us can readily be seen in almost any school that serves struggling populations. It probably looks different and it comes at you different, […]
Posted inLiteracy
Skilled Writers Get Editors: Student Writers Get ________?
On occasion, I hear a statement that captures how much the classroom differs from the real world. Such was the case at the International Reading Association Conference in Boston (July 9-11, 2016) when literacy consultant Mark Overmeyer noted that in the real world: “Our most skilled writers have editors…the more skilled the writer, the more editors” […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
To Test or not to Test: That is the Question
Picture this, lush green fields and ancient ruins of magnificent structures gazing over the tops of houses on the lanes. This is my view on the train from York to London. My family is from Yorkshire and I had the delight of spending time with them during my brief stop. However, I’m left contemplating a pressing […]
Posted inHow to Fix Education
Know Your Teacher Worth
I have an absolutely amazing older son. When my ex-husband left, Eli was there to help pick up the pieces. When I had my emotional collapse, again Eli came to the hospital everyday and even now continues to keep a close eye on me. He and I are never far from one another, with healthy […]
Posted inClassroom Management
Using Essential Oils in the Classroom
Holistic therapies and homeopathic remedies have been gaining in popularity and use in recent years. I will reach for essential oils as an alternative before taking over-the-counter medicines. Even some hospitals have started to diffuse essential oils to reduce workplace stress and promote natural pain relief. Teachers can use essential oils in the classroom to help […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Literature Circles in Middle School: Mini-Lessons
Rather than teach a full-class book at the end of the 2015-16 school year, I opted to have my 8th graders read in literature circles. They had the choice between six historical YA lit novels. Each day students met in their literature circles they had certain procedures they were expected to follow. Even though each […]
Posted inConfessions of a Teacher
Race-Based Silence is Violence
Look around your school. Who would be the person to talk to your students about race and how it affects minorities? Who would start the conversation about Alton Sterling or Philando Castille? If you cannot think of anyone, there is an issue. If you don’t think children need to discuss racially charged incidents, there is an […]